Dodge and Kia Rank Highest in 2020 J.D. Power Initial Quality Study

136 warranty claims per 100 vehicles for both manufacturers in the first 90 days of ownership

Posted by Alisa Valles

June 25, 2020

Automotive analytics firm J.D. Power released its 34th annual Initial Quality Study, which assesses issues experienced by owner's of new 2020 model-year vehicles in the first 90 days of ownership.

The Initial Quality Study is the industry benchmark for new-vehicle quality and, year after year, automakers apply the insights they learn from consumers to make positive changes.

The study is a snapshot of problems new car owners have with their vehicles, including issues related to new technology, such as infotainment systems and other electronic components. New in this year's study is a measure of "features that are difficult to use, hard to understand, or don't work the way owners want."

Domestic Brand Results

Dodge, Chevrolet, Ram, Buick, GMC, Jeep and Cadillac all perform better than the overall industry average of 166 problems per 100 vehicles. Dodge leads the pack this year with 136 issues per 100 vehicles. The Chevrolet Sonic achieved the best score of all vehicles in the study, with 103 problems per 100 vehicles.

According to J.D. Power, this year's performance from American brands is the best when compared to import brands in the 34 year history of the study.

Premium Brand Performance

Premium brands, such as BMW (176 PP100), Mercedes-Benz (202 PP100), Volvo (210 PP100), Audi (225 PP100) and Land Rover (228 PP100) all tend to perform worse than average in the study. Premium automakers tend to pack their vehicles with complex technologies, which can lead to more abundant problems.

Genesis, Lexus, and Cadillac are the only premium brands that performed better than the industry average.

This also marks the first year that Tesla was profiled for the Initial Quality Study, and it ranked dead-last with 250 problems per 100 vehicles. J.D. Power notes that Tesla limits the number of states where consumers can be surveyed, with 15 states being off-limits to the study.

Infotainment Systems Problematic

The study notes that nearly a quarter of complaints cited in the study are related to infotainment systems.

"Top complaints include built-in voice recognition; Android Auto/Apple CarPlay connectivity; touchscreens; built-in navigation systems; and Bluetooth® connectivity," according to J.D. Power's press release related to the study.

Initial Quality Study Details

Also according to the press release, "The 2020 U.S. Initial Quality Study is based on responses from 87,282 purchasers and lessees of new 2020 model-year vehicles who were surveyed after 90 days of ownership. The study, which provides manufacturers with information to facilitate the identification of problems and drive product improvement, was fielded from February through May 2020."

About J.D. Power

J.D. Power is a global leader in consumer insights, advisory services and data and analytics. These capabilities enable J.D. Power to help its clients drive customer satisfaction, growth and profitability. Established in 1968, J.D. Power has offices serving North America, Asia Pacific and Europe.